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Though J.C staff is still J.C staff. I will forgive them from changing and not showing how brutal the killing methods of Accelerator. I will just think of it's the same as when we didn't get to see Touma bloody wounded.

I think the blood quantity was satisfactory and beautifully drawn as always in this series. I'am pleased with the epi. Epic. Luv it.

Although after I started reading the novels I have a little difficult time accepting all those omitted scenes and small details. Such as for example LO's and Touma's short talk while opening the electric lock. Beating the shit out of that Hound Dog woman who lost her jaw(censorship I guess). No fingers left after last guy's death by enraged Accel , just a blood puddle. And more non-important but delicious details.

I understand they have time constraints and not enough money to animate everything but still it's sad

I'am one of those people who like very faithful adaptations.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vanish

I forgot why Vento had to retreat. We'll have it explained later, right?

Yeah, I agree. I liked this episode, but I'm sad that they cut out all the little parts. I wanted to see Last Order using her powers for once, and I don't think the guy at the end of the episode mentioned the lines that REALLY pushed Accelerator over the edge.

Posting some LN excerpts.

The uncut and entirely brutal Accelerator vs. Hound Dogs:

Spoiler for volume 13 revival of destruction:

"Third Resource Recycling Processing Facility."

A black-clad man is looking at a group of buildings soaring over the corner of the Fifth School District and his lips moved.

They're in a facility, a very close neighbor to the Seventh School District. The minivan used by Accelerator and the [Hound Dog] deserter was abandoned very near the side of the Seventh School District park.

"They've taken refuge in a troublesome place, Nancy."

The said person herself reflexively snickers at her colleague's words.

What is Nancy, even the person herself grumbles, but it can't be helped if they use this codename to call each other.

Nancy is, indeed, an ordinary Japanese of the yellow race. With black eyes and hair, those complexities are not embraced at all. If she were to make the codes, she wants them to be in kanji. Surely Kihara Amata is a person who creates gaudy handle names from the network.

Her entire body is covered with jet-black armor and mask, but even so the lines of a properly matured woman cannot be hidden. [Hound Dog] is at any rate, regardless of gender, an organization that is comprised of merely garbage, so there are some other female Nancies. Also, just because it's for congeniality doesn't mean a strange sense of solidarity is produced. It's because this human organization, with its former Anti-Skills who fell for the pleasure of hunting down case suspects and analyst-technicians who bring in [scarless torture] into investigations; basically all of its members are scummy, shitty bastards.

The woman is slowly swinging a tool in her hands.

It resembles a toy gun — a scent sensor.

On top of the grip where the hammer of a pistol would be, a tiny three-inch LCD monitor is mounted. It's displaying numerous bar graphs that are continuously going up and down like musical bars installed in component stereo screens.

"The target's [scent] continues to there. I can say I'm almost certain of it,"

Nancy says to her backup colleague behind her.

The scent.

Police dogs cannot pursue the scent with a rain like today, but for them that problem can be considerably resolved. The scent drifting away doesn't mean [the scent is disappearing], it's more like [the scent is being blended in]. The sensor in this case can deal even with scents that are blended into.

The man casts his eyes towards the direction of the [scent].

"Quite a facility there,"

The black-clad man standing beside Nancy says.

An idle chat, but it is as he says.

Spreading before the woman's eyes is a gigantic facility that spans about 2km in every direction. It's meant for processing recyclables. Because Academy city is naturally resource-deficient, everything from basic paper resources to stuff like metals such as iron and aluminum, petroleum products like rubber and plastic, and many more goods besides them are being recycled. This is the facility that collects and processes items into something useful from the [resources] generated by the four school districts that surround the heart of the Fifth School District.

Those vast grounds suggest some coastal petrochemical kombinat. Cylindrical fuel tanks over 100m in diameter line up single-file, and there are factory areas with numerous smokestacks standing up.

Even so, it's a recycling facility.

An all-too suitable place where the shittiest of people fight.

"Nancy, what do you think that guy's aim is?"

Rod inquires about that matter.

"I can't get the strategic standpoint and importance of this facility. But if it were only for going undercover, deliberately dodging security and coming to a place like this is a pain."

"To get away from us, looks like he's serious about destroying his scent by passing through the garbage processing plant."

"…That means he, too, knows our equipment."

"It's because that fool Orson ran away with the target, you know. There was some spare equipment inside that van."

It's hard to throw the scent sensor off track by putting on the stench of garbage, but it's a different story when either the scent's molecular structure is changed or a certain kind of detergent is used. The concealment group of [Hound Dog] has been developing its own for exclusive use, but it's likely that this kind of resource processing facility has the same kinds of chemicals.

Time for last-ditch methods, Nancy giggles, then inquires at her colleague,

"Rod, how's the rough layout of this facility?"

"Already acquired one from the Bank."

"Transmit to all members. How about the worker count and patrol routes?"

"Good thing we don't have to worry about patrol routes," the man called Rod reports. "It's almost automated inside. There are fourteen workers, and all of them are in the control center as operators tapping on the keyboards. I've heard that machine maintenance is sent in via a dispatch from an external organization."

"Good. That would save us time for cleanup,"

Nancy says halfheartedly, then hands over the scent sensor to her colleague. She then proceeds to check her shoulder-slung sub-machine gun.

Rod lightly waves at a small-sized computer where a rough layout is displayed,

"There are 24 entrance and exit locations. It's impossible to cover them all and then manually search one-by-one every nook and cranny inside the facility."

The current battle strength of [Hound Dog] is being dispersed into a diversionary unit against an unidentified enemy, a detached force in pursuit of Last Order, and a bodyguard unit for Kihara Amata. Because of this, there are about ten of them gathered now in the facility.

"Better that we guide the target's movement. The enemy should be convinced that we are numerous. We attack from map waypoint A, and after deliberate guiding we ambush from emergency exit C. The more bombs we throw in, the better we shake him. Got it?"

"What we gonna do if he uses his powers to bust through? We must be able to guide him, you know."

Accelerator chuckles inside the control room of the Third Resource Recycling Processing Facility.

In every windowless wall of the small room, a horde of monitors had been installed. From factory operations to security mode, everything is being controlled from here.

The fourteen workers, helpless against a shotgun-wielding intruder, are reduced to trembling masses here and there; Accelerator doesn't bother with them. He's glaring at a single monitor. There is a list of detergents being prepared at this facility.

Accelerator's looking for a detergent that chemically reacts with the scent's molecules to break them into [fundamental elements].

(I've found it. And lots of them. With these I can shake free from those bastards' [sense of smell]!)

He's resolutely determined on complete resistance to Kihara Amata's [Hound Dog], but he doesn't prefer to be on the [always under attack] side. He doesn't have even seven minutes to fully use his powers in fighting. No problems were it Kihara Amata himself, but he wants to avoid wasting the time away when it comes to the [Hound Dog] lackeys. With that in mind, he's decided that taking the initiative in this battle is better.

Of course, the most important objective is not taking on Kihara and his group, but rescuing Last Order safely; even so,

(Even if I look for Last Order, right now the [Hound Dog] pursuit must be stopped. If that brat is recovered before that, the risks from stray bullets will rise!)

The difficulties will jump up after the rescue effort. Accelerator's ability is meant for defending only that person; the battery won't last with him using his abilities every time [Hound Dog] pops up.

Even for this type of meaning [when to fight and when to avoid], he must grasp at it at all costs.

(I must quickly use the detergents to wipe off my scent, then leave from this place. There's no time until Kihara himself reaches that brat. I mustn't sluggishly drop in the way in this place, and I definitely have to return ASAP. Now where are the detergents in this facility stored…?)

At that moment, the monitors *zaza* shake.

Dozens of monitors in the control room show their images being erased into gray noise one after the other. Just before their annihilation, at the security videos of this facility's Second North Entrance, fleeting images of a black-clad man are shown.

If they have the skill to flawlessly defeat the Third Resource Recycling Processing Facility's warning equipment, they should know where the cameras are placed. As it is, though, those black-clads are deliberately showing off their own whereabouts to try to tempt him.

(Shitheads! They're faster than I expected!!)

The facility is already surrounded.

Accelerator cannot move without his cane. In other words, he cannot speed up. Even if he shakes off the scent sensor with the detergents, just this troop entering this facility means he'll probably have to take them on.

He cannot escape from that lot. And now,

(I have no intention of escaping. I'll smash up those stalkers right here.)

Accelerator scans the surroundings as he leans his body onto the shotgun that serves as a substitute cane.

He warns the real workers who were mixed up into this.

"From here on a gun battle will happen. Even if the fight is over, succeeding groups will probably move in. You guys wait for about twenty minutes after the gunshots stop. Then change into civilian clothes from work clothes and leave this facility."

Only incomprehensible (can't find out if they nodded or shook their heads) replies come back.

(Interesting. What do we have here…)

He confirms his status.

It seems he can't use his ability. Inside the factory, massive concrete prevents him from doing so, and precise electronic communications with outside fails. On top of it, because it's for resource recycling, many conveyor belts, press machines, and have quite massive motors installed, scattering powerful electromagnetic waves. The Misaka Network that creates electronic data from changing the Sisters' brain waves into electromagnetic waves, is rendered perfectly useless in itself.

At any rate the jamming is horrendous.

The difference between music and noise is intense. Normal conversations would end with [a bit of chaos], but if it happens while he shows off and uses his ability, it will only lead into an accidental discharge incident.

(At least it won't reach to Kihara that I've been using my abilities here.)

He has no experiences up to this point fighting naked.

Until he uses his abilities, he's only a person whose movements are limited to using a cane for walking.

He only has a single shotgun that he uses as a cane for a weapon.

Packed into its magazine are around 30 shells.

"What to do…?"

He's looking for a way, with only his current equipment, to intercept [Hound Dog] who's known for systematic fighting.

As he continues to worry about the black-clad man shown on-screen,

(What to do?)

Accelerator tears his eyes from the monitor, digs out the papers containing rough sketches, and spreads them out widely.

Take the bait? Leave the bait? Offensive and defensive battles have already started from there.

At the Third Resource Recycling Processing Facility where Accelerator is hiding, the [Hound Dog] are silently infiltrating.

Upon entering the concrete factory, the machinery sounds are far more troubling than imagined.

Even we are getting edgy, Nancy thinks for a bit, but unnecessarily adding more tasks is a waste of time. Perhaps Accelerator right now is in a condition where he can't use his ability well enough, but him recovering his mental composure is something they must avoid at all costs.

Surrounding Nancy are about five colleagues.

Her group is in charge of guiding, so they have to ostensibly display a [crowd of people] as much as possible. Nancy's group will recklessly fire bullets and a detached force will ambush the target after it has taken refuge in the inner passages—that is their tactic.

The rough path where the target has passed through can be followed with the scent sensor which she left to her colleague some time ago. When hunting for the enemy inside and that in mind, well, hopefully nothing can go wrong.

(What to worry about later on are the guns.)

With the scent sensor, and going along the target's scent from the minivan parked by the road, it led to this facility. No one was in the van, and the bag jammed with spare equipment was there. With its zipper opened, perhaps the target was carrying some small arms.

(Well, Accelerator has no marksmanship ability to that extent. With that guy reliant on living dependent on his ability, there's no way he's trained. It's appropriate to think that we have the advantage here by far,)

Nancy thinks that so.

(Even so...)

With the production operations mostly automated, there isn't even air-conditioning inside the concrete building, making it humid. Cold rain should be raining outside, but inside it's brimming with heat from the constantly moving gigantic motors.

While their nerves are slowly and little by little getting warm, they slowly walk through the steel passageway. The heat is felt even from the light of the white fluorescent lamp.

They are getting tense.

And so they are getting deluded, Nancy judges.

With a quick peek at her colleague's face, even with the movements of the colleague hidden by a black mask, are few but constrained; in other words, stiffening.

In this facility, electromagnetic jamming is occurring due to various reasons.

Accelerator's ability is probably getting electronic support; according to Kihara Amata's opinion, "because of the dangers from spontaneous discharge, Accelerator almost certainly cannot use his ability."

When Nancy started out as a member of [Hound Dog], she thinks that was appropriate. With so many restrictions, the ability cannot be used recklessly. The risk of spontaneous discharge jumps up with the power as strong as that.

However, on the other hand, the worry that "he might be prepared to use spontaneous discharge when cornered" cannot be discounted.

Only Kihara Amata can truly bring down Accelerator.

Guns and bombs, which Nancy handles, won't make a dent against Accelerator.

(So the cardinal rule is "kill before the opponent feels he's cornered.")

Hence the incitement tactics.

The target is alerted to their presence, but it will slacken up when it takes refuge inside. There the detached force which is waiting for that moment will shoot to kill. To make that a success, it is important to go out ahead and bear some risks to get Accelerator's attention. Though the opponent can't use his powerful ability, the probability of him bearing guns are high. And there's the danger of one's head getting shot out from getting preoccupied at poorly executing the diversion.

(That's well, from under stress. The people here, including myself, were trained only [to kill fast]. Because it doesn't take training to put a situation like this to one's mind.)

There are several kinds of soldiers.

It's not a problem even when hostage negotiations skills are not necessary for jungle work, or when an urban sniper doesn't know how to survive on an uninhabited island. There are many special units with sharpened abilities that can be made simply because of eliminating the useless, and especially put the remaining time into adopting training methods that specialize into separate fields.

In short, for Nancy and her group's position where they are placed as soldiers specialized for desert warfare, it would be the same if they were made to walk in the piles of snow in the Arctic Circle.

(We can do this...)

Nancy, beneath her black mask, gulps down saliva.

(...or we're dead meat)

*Kakin*

At that time, a soft metallic sound interrupts Nancy's thoughts.

"!?"

Nancy and her group simultaneously turn their guns at the source of the sound.

But there is no one there. Not even a hiding spot. Nancy, maintaining her stance, uses her eyes and fingers to contact the colleague nearest to her.

"(...Looks like a lone sound produced from machine parts.)"

"(...I agree with you, too. But even if a person's there, there's no place to hide in. It's unlikely that it's the most advantageous point.)"

"(...Is it possible that something that makes sound was thrown?)"

"(...If that's the case, the target is hiding somewhere very close.)"

Tension is running through all the members.

"(...Rod, how's the scent sensor?)"

"(...Hold on. Analysis is being completed now.)"

Their heartbeats are getting faster, their index fingers on the triggers are shaking bit by bit. Both skin and glove are slightly wet with sweat.

Right after,

*Gachin*

This time all the lights go out at once.

A darkness quite like it was timed.

It is a battle tactic using light and sound to incite mental stress to torment them psychologically.

Oh no, Nancy just now realizes it.

If they pull the triggers aimlessly here, they'll hurt their comrades that are in close formation. They'll aim up their muzzles, but the surroundings, as well as the walls and ceiling, are all metal. The unleashed bullets will ricochet back and might bare its fangs at them.

They didn't even consider their guns' safeties.

Their thinking has been restrained as far as them awkwardly moving their frozen fingers being taken as that's as far as they can pull their triggers. It appears that Accelerator is aware that they are not carrying any night vision equipment.

"(...Wait!!)"

She immediately tries to make eye contact, but she can't reach to her companions due to the darkness.

Here vocal relay is the best, but that would only end up telling the [enemy] where they are.

(G...gasp...!! T, that was the sound of steam exhaust! A normal sound!!)

She somehow resists moving her index fingers, and even though she concentrated her nerves onto her five senses again to look for the target that is causing this,

"Gack!?"

Suddenly a low voice echoes directly at her side.

A shock *goton* that's similar a person collapsing is being relayed from her feet that are firmly planted on the floor.

She feels an acrid and stinking smell of iron.

(Oh—no!)

Were they calm, they might realize that it is only a spanner thrown from within the darkness. If they see through a trick as another trick, on the other hand, that much might regain them their mental composure.

However,

Gradually taking away that [composure] is that target's objective.

(That bastard... not only does he uses his ability, he even uses the person's fear—!?)

It's already too late by the time Nancy realizes that.

In the darkness, she starts to muster her nerves towards her entire self. Right at that moment,

A single tool comes flying and just weakly *klunk* hits her own shoulder.

Unconsciously, her body, already robbed of composure more than she thought, reacts on its own.

**Her finger on the trigger goes past its fixed position.**

Several gunshots sound, and the place is again filled with the smell of more iron.

Within the darkened factory, Accelerator is holding his breath.

For this operation, even as he prepares for his first move, he's on his own from here on.

Accelerator grabbed a few items from inside the minivan. One is a shotgun that he uses as a cane substitute, the other is a small wireless radio.

These, too, were used in this operation.

Currently the enemy group is in the dark, fearful of friendly fire, and scrambling to contact each other by radio while each of them is loosely scattered about. Accelerator is playing the confused, noise-ridden voice of an [ally], moreover perform nonsensical information exchange, and break the enemy coordination. It appears that the opposing side is instantly aware that Accelerator is disturbing them, but there is no method that can distinguish comrade from dummy in incoming voices. As a result, the lot are going to intensify their misgivings on [all voices].

Unless they use radio, they can't figure out their comrades' current position.

Even if they find a shadow of a person, because of [fearful of friendly fire (or fearful of being killed by friendly fire)], their target-aiming speed is weakened, and cooperation among allies is being interrupted. In response, Accelerator only has nothing but to act as if [all shadows are enemies]. As far as he is concerned this is a huge advantage for him.

The threats from [Hound Dogs] are [small arms] and [groups].

It's not a cause of concern since with his current move the opponent has almost lost both of them.

For Accelerator, unable to use his ability, today was his first time using this kind of fear-inducing tactic, but the opponents were amusingly caught in it. As he thought, fear is the common denominator for mankind. At the back-alleys, he ruled as the very symbol of fear even though he did nothing. Just by concentrating and using a bit of seriousness in that exchange, there are a lot of great results.

They are no longer enemies.

They are just mere moving targets.

(Well then...)

By means of radio and fear, they have been torn loose to pieces, with each of them helpless. Even if he runs amok here, there is a margin of a few minutes until reinforcements rush in. Worrying about the surroundings is in a word, unimportant.

A smile was stuck on Accelerator's mouth while he lurks in the dark.

In his sights is a big game, separated from its peers and nervously searching alone for an enemy.

(You've crammed yourself full, you plump, fat brute.)

The target's range is about 15 meters.

A shotgun's effective power increases at short ranges. That said, this distance isn't yet the best; even so Accelerator leans back on a wall, raises his staff from the floor, aims appropriately and fired.

A shoulder-breaking shock came along with an ear-splitting roar. As expected, the shots scatter about before it hits the target. But in the surroundings are hard concrete and metal plates. Several shots ricochet from them like pinballs and crash into the black-clad from different angles.

A scream reverberates.

In the darkness, liquid is being scattered, and the human silhouette whirled down just like in action movies. Accelerator, after confirming it, approaches towards the black-clad with his shotgun as a cane.

It seems it hit their arm.

Their right arm was hit by the shotgun shells, and because it fell down onto the floor as it whirled, their other arm was probably already twisted.

The sub-machine gun they held was sliding a distance away. It seems they're trying to pull out their spare handgun, but because both of their arms were crushed, they couldn't take up weapons as much as they want to.

It was an unsightly, hairless caterpillar.

Accelerator braces his one hand against a nearby wall and presses the shotgun's muzzle at the side of the black-clad's cheek.

"Y, you're joking, right...?"

Unexpectedly, the voice was high-pitched. Observing very closely, he realizes that it's a feminine line even though it's a black-clad.

"Joke? Yeah."

Whatever, Accelerator appropriately omitted,

"A new one."

He pulled the trigger.

Accelerator's body uncontrollably tumbled back at the *dobam!* dull recoil shock. Not a gun to be fired one-handed, he thought. Getting up as he shook his head, the black-clad woman in front of him was writhing.

"Oo, oohu, buuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!?"

She's grabbing onto her mouth with both her broken hands, but both of them were strangely getting into the inside her face. For everything below her jaw was blown off sideways by the shotgun. Were those hands out of the way, one would find out that only her upper jaw was lining up in a row.

Accelerator noticed something warm sticking onto his own cheek.

Moving it with his tongue and holding it in his mouth, he chews it along with his saliva. It has the taste of flesh.

"Aha..."

An unintentional smile escapes from his lips.

There's no point in sparing infinite time with a battle-incapacitated woman. Accelerator has to leave his place immediately. Other [Hound Dogs] would turn up should they hear the gunshots. He doesn't prefer to be found by them and be shot at directly. The best way is to lurk to the very end in the darkness, crushing the big game one person at a time. Better that I leave, Accelerator thought; as soon as possible.

**But then,**

Using the shotgun as a cane, he staggered up to his feet.

He has become somewhat happy.

Even though he thought of it as useless, he cannot suppress *the feeling of freedom* as if it had burst open.

As he messily and sloppily chews with his mouth, he stands in front of the woman whose jaw was blown off.

"...Oh hoh hoh, so your face turned to something good for a fuckin' pacifier."

*Snap!*, the woman whose lower half face disappeared looked at him.

Now what kind of face do I have, Accelerator cannot even imagine that.

"And how dare you still live!! You've got to be kidding me, bitch!!"

In any case, he started to kick on the groveling woman's stomach.

A thick *dongongaki!!* sound occurs in succession. As he gives five, ten, fifteen, then twenty kicks, the woman's body suddenly disappeared into the dark.

Looking closely, it looks like a machine press for metalworking use.

Acting like a cliff, metallic objects fall in and is brought from here via conveyor belt, probably to be pressed and tempered; it occupies about 3 meters in depth, and ten meters spread in every direction. Considering that empty cans and steel rods are already turning into mountains, it might be actually deeper.

The woman was struggling three meters below.

She was an unsightly human, with both arms injured and the lower half of her face blown off.

Even as he looks at her, Accelerator felt no compassion.

He throws a fleeting glance towards the corner of the pressing machine inlet. Almost all of the equipment should be controlled in the control room, but there must be a device for tentative manual operation. There was indeed a probable one, a large button on the side wall.

Even the woman must have understood what Accelerator is looking at.

She's pleading for something while looking up overhead at the inlet.

"Afee, afuhee, farahahe..."

"Too bad."

Accelerator quickly apologized to interrupt her.

"You know who you're messing with, bitch."

*BAM!*

As if slamming his palm onto the wall, he pressed the giant switch.

There was absolutely no mercy in that action.

A *koum* dull sound of a motor operating resounded inside the facility.

"Well then..."

Already ignoring that spectacle, Accelerator resumes his loitering as he lets out a fervent sigh.

"My next game, where did it lose its way...."

There was only a gaping, face-tearing smile on his mouth.

In the dark, sweltering factory, the sound of short breaths echoed.

Vera, a [Hound Dog] hiding under cover, was a woman who might be told from anyone that [they can't imagine why she would go down into such a place].

She's cheerful and sociable, and yet she doesn't fail in gauging her distance with other people. She can handle both physical and mental work together well. She is that kind of person.

Even she has some girl issues, but she has the knack of skillfully talking her way out from those who are interested in those kind of matters.

In any case at the dubious-looking group [Hound Dog], Vera who had some good sense, requested for cooperation with others. Such acts don't belong in that group where one despises the other, but at least Vera wanted to put up even a little trust with her [comrades].

Even so,

(...What a noisy radio)

She's been continuously hearing screams and appeals for help from it, but Vera's reaction was that of seeming annoyance. She doesn't even know which among them is real or a trap. Since then, she can't contact Caines who said he's rescuing comrades and took independent action. There's the danger of carelessly replying.

Already she cannot trust anyone.

What she thought to be slowly built was all crumbling away now at this place.

Instinctively Vera let out her sobbing.

At any rate she had better leave this facility and start over. Even Rod said by exit there's a trap at the exit, but on the other hand that kind of alert report is suspicious. Is that really Rod? She ought to leave, even if she has to take some risks. Even leave behind her [comrades]. All to avoid being annihilated.

(This is the worst... This is the worst day...!)

With staggering and uncertain steps, Vera started to look for the exit. She had already lost her will to fight. The excessive mental stress is all the more wearing down her concentration and thinking.

And then, she noticed something.

(A radio...)

Before she's aware of it, from the only source of noise that is the radio was sending back nothing but a fixed *zaa--* static noise. Because she thought she can cause unnecessary chaos to the place she maintained radio silence up to now, but upon coming here she suddenly felt insecure. Vera presses the switch and draws it to her lips.

"This is Vera, Vera. Request for status. Over."

There was no response to her request.

Cold sweat burst out from her. The worst thoughts flashed through her mind like should she kick away that sham for her radio or, on the contrary, surely all of they have become Accelerator's prey.

(Well that, or else.)

Vera, thinking for a way out, is struck with a different idea.

(Others like me, all of the survivors must have on one occasion took refuge outside. Because of the facility's massive walls, there's a big chance that no signal passes from outside to inside. If everyone were out, my signal should have reached to them.)

In that case, Vera would be abandoned by her [comrades], and also they would consider that she abandoned them. Comparing these to the fact that her [comrades] were annihilated in this garbage processing plant,

(That's right. There's no way the [Hound Dogs] would be deceived that easily. The darkness tactics Accelerator took has no effect unless it's totally dark. With the moonlight, we can distinguish friend and foe even without radio. In that case, it's more efficient to deal with going out from the facility.)

With that understanding, better that she leave for the safety outside.

As Vera drew up her own conclusions, she looks for the exit with a some more reassuring steps.

She still has hopes of her own.

If everyone were gathered once more, even Accelerator wouldn't be that scary. Simply because she thought it so.

Until the moment she saw her own comrade being crushed by the pressing machine.

Vera's thoughts turn around, collapsing at once into that of a panic situation.

Strictly speaking, Vera cannot directly see her [comrade being crushed]. What is plain to her eyes is only equipment that presses scrap metal into lumps. It has a section about three meters deep dug into the floor. The total length must be about 10 meters.

The massive iron pressing plate went down.

Nevertheless, **a groan can be heard from the opposite side of the plate**.

(...Nancy-!!)

Because of her reckless thoughts for her comrades, Vera can see who that is with only a weak voice. Meanwhile, a creaking sound is produced as the massive place slowly continues to go down.

"U, uaaah. uaaa, aaaa, aaaahh!!"

In a state of near panic, Vera slammed her palm onto the button at the wall. Along with a *gagun* sound the pressing machine's movement finally stopped.

The groaning still continued.

There's no way that the human flesh can endure the pressure from this iron plate. Nancy is alive, perhaps because of the metal scrap for pressing scattered inside. Nancy's body is sinking into a cushion-like mountain of metal scrap.

Even so, there's little doubt that she's nearly dead.

This may be as harsh as dying a horrible death.

By pushing another button on the wall, the iron place returns up.

And perhaps Nancy can be rescued.

But then.

On the surface of that button, something thick was sticking onto it. A blackish mucus, just like those seen in garbage bins beside vending machines. It is necessary for Vera to make contact with the mucus to push the button.

**Even if the true form of the dirt is human meat and bone.**

**Even if it is bits of human skin and meat along with crushed bone sticking to the button.**

"-----a, huh?"

Her fine line with her consciousness was cut off.

She thought she heard a soft dripping sound.

"GAAH!? GYAAA!! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"

Vera lets out a shout with throat-tearing vigor, and fell backwards at full power. She could not endure this any further. She surely got the feeling that what she built for herself up to now is crumbling down. She thought that she would die from shock even if a single drop of water hits her skin.

In such a situation her foot caught on something and Vera fell on her backside along with a slimy feeling.

Looking at her feet, a soft and flabby handful of human meat is clinging onto it.

It was pulpy, but that was a human lower jaw any way she looks at it.

"UAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"

She tried to shake it off and run for it.

But as she tried to move her sights at random, she met her other comrade. Well, one never knows if 'met' is the right expression. In front of a person who's been boiled up after been hoisted up by fat wires and is made to bathe in high temperature steam from severed steam pipes above it, whether that word is appropriate for this is a mystery.

Both vomit and shit have spouted from her.

Because her face-covering mask serves as a block, nothing else was leaked outside. Mucus and gushing water are leaking from both her mouth and nose, but Vera is in no condition to notice it. Not that much.

"HII, UAA, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA..."

A soft drawn-out voice is leaking out forever from her own mouth.

Vera looks at the silent radio.

So that was it.

The meaning of the silence being shown is simple. There is no strategy. And there is no change in plans for rallying. Perhaps not even one of her colleagues ever got outside of the facility. Each and every one, all of the [Hound Dogs], were just like the wind annihilated and dragged into a ghastly attraction of the Third Resource Recycling Processing Facility. Perhaps just like her now, they were driven into psychological instability, even their common sense was taken away, and then were handled to be toyed around just as they were about to stand still in total shock.

Vera lost her grip.

Her radio and sub-machine gun falls with a clank onto the floor. Even Vera herself fell down onto her knees.

Just who was she fighting against?

So far Accelerator has especially not used any weapons. Nor does he consider the terrain. With only just his ability he mows down every obstacle in his way to move forward. Consequently, with his ability restricted now, he can only think of bringing down opponents as much as he likes depending on the strategy.

But it was already different now.

He uses weapons. He even utilizes the building. He reads the opponent's minds, weaves the most efficient method to derange them and executes it. By not entrusting to mere anger and beating opponents to death, but by giving them the maximum psychological damage, even he starts to adopt non-killing options.

His mental growth rate is formidable. This is not for children who rely solely on their abilities. This is for those who use everything they have to kill a person. Even at present, Accelerator, with plenty of threats on his own, is perhaps speeding up further. Up to the point that it goes out of someone's control and smashes up the world.

Under extreme shock, Vera's nerves were paralyzed.

Even the capability to feel fear was taken away.

He's a monster.

Unwisely, the [Hound Dogs] gave a hand in breaking off its shell.

*clank, clank*

Soft footsteps echo right behind Vera.

She didn't turn around, and was laughing softly as she lay crestfallen.

Almost all of the [Hound Dogs] have been disposed of.

Since he doesn't have an accurate head count, he has to be on guard for ambushes, but Accelerator's gut instinct told him that the battle is almost over.

It would be admirable if he assumes the [Hound Dog] survivors are the ones [producing] this mood, but there was absolutely no time for that. Accelerator's attack is a program where, in the interval from the timing the gimmick flies out until the silence, everything is made to cave into a calculated cerebrophysiological, exhaustive, and sure-fire panic situation.

It is not fear that can be done somehow by will-power, it's pounding emotions from a brain synapse-like aspect. Nobody is likely to fight fair and square. As long as there are people in the world ---- as long as they greatly lack common sense, there's no way to escape from this attack. Screaming and thrashing around their limbs, that's as much as they can do.

Accelerator opens the lid of the bottle of detergent he found inside the facility. He pours the transparent liquid onto his head, and as he threw away the emptied container somewhere,

(At this point Kihara will definitely move. It'll be a lucky strike for me, but in the meantime no monkeying around, shitty bastard. It'll take some time before the reports will reach him. In the meantime I'll do what I have to do.)

Accelerator's objective is the rescue of Last Order.

But he can't get a lock on the current location of the girl currently in flight (whether that's true or not he's not certain). It might change if they talk by mobile phone, but he's not certain he can rely on it. In that case, to save Last Order he'd better pour his efforts onto interfering with Kihara and his ilk.

He has to divert all their attention onto himself.

He has to make them believe [before we kidnap Last Order, at any rate we have to do something about that Accelerator in front of us] or he'll never win.

The more that expectation is fulfilled, the more Accelerator is driven into a dilemma, but...

(Either way I'm ready for it.)

He heads for the exit, his shotgun serving as a cane.

Torturing [Hound Dogs] and pulling up information is also one way, but Accelerator has avoided those. With him, relying on his cane, unable to use his ability in this facility, he can't carry adults outside. Even his victories so far are all the more the result of his plans. Even he cannot ignore an injured opponent. The current him will die from a single bullet. If he makes a bad move and has the tables turned on him, the person who would save Last Order would be totally gone.

Accelerator considers on his next move and objective.

(I'll check again the [Hound Dog] minivan. I don't think that their safe house would be found that easily, but even with crushing detached forces, at least I have to get the information on their rough location...), there he ended his train of thought.

There are traces of blood on the floor.

On seeing the red stains here and there, Accelerator slightly frowned. The enemy has all moved in as he calculated, stirring up their fears, then smashing them up one by one; he doesn't recall cornering them using this route.

There are still survivors.

"...."

As far as the trail of blood goes, the enemy's pace was dazed; they're concentration going here and there. Because of the extreme fear, they're scared towards anything. His psychological operation is probably effective.

(Or perhaps, they're only posing and are actually enticing me.)

As he held on to his cane, Accelerator carefully follows the blood trail.

Ahead is a small emergency exit. A green pilot lamp is installed above the iron door. A box protected by reinforced glass is installed beside the door. The glass itself is broken, the lever within was shifted.

Someone unlocked it and went outside.

Accelerator leans himself on the wall beside the door, touching the knob by stretching out ahead his hand. The cane's presence was irritating. Should he use both his hands, one hand is sure to touch the switch for the choker-type electrode. There's the danger of an explosion, but he can do nothing but use his ability when the situation demands for it.

Slowly he turns the knob.

And silently pushes the door.

"------"

There was nothing out of the ordinary.

At least, there was no bomb set for him. Accelerator confirms this, then threw open the door at once.

Before he knows it, the raindrops from the heavy downpour are beating on his entire body.

For Accelerator, hidden inside the humid facility, that was a comfortable stimulus.

But then,

"There you are..."

There was no smile on his face.

Accelerator is standing on the second floor. Descending down the emergency stairs from there, it continues to an area roughly about 20 meters of asphalt, ahead of which is an area-delimiting wire mesh fence.

There he found a figure of a person clambering over that fence.

The back of a black-clad, it's an unmistakable [Hound Dog].

And, very near the fence is a parked car. It's easy to imagine the destination of the black-clad.

He thought it's a fresh [Hound Dog] reinforcement, but that isn't so.

That car is being used for a regular Anti-skill patrol.

The hell is this, Accelerator thought.

There must be a mistake for those guys to pop out and come here.

This is a battle between demons, mere people shouldn't be coming out, right?

I HAVE BEEN IN THE UNDERWORLD FOR SO LONG, BUT EVEN SO YOU CAN HURL INSULTS AS THOSE HARSH UNHEARD-OF WORDS ONE AFTER THE OTHER.

"Listen up, bastard, no matter how much you struggle it's already over! The Anti-skill have arrived here. Go ahead and try if you can kill me!! But then you'll drag in the Anti-skill and you'll really be wanted!! With this your days with that goddamned kid whom you wanted to protect so badly is already over! You'll be dragged back into the cold research labs, where you'll be a fucking guinea pig for the rest of your life!! GYAHAHAHAHAHA!!"

An intense power is gathering up in the hand where the shotgun being held.

**His mind explodes.**

The battery electrode, the fact that he's trying to conserve it because it only has seven minutes remaining, and the fact that if he used them all up here he cannot fight against Kihara Amata, all those were completely blown away.

Accelerator has his hand on the back of his neck.

The electrode switch is there.

He was in control.

He'll make a victim only for that goddamned bastard with this method.

Only that alone was within his mind.

Anti-skills Saigou Ryouta and Sugiyama Edao were lucky.

While a large majority of the town's public order preservation systems had stopped functioning, because they had inadvertently slept in late, they hadn't caught the coma attack unlike the others. Even when no one responded to their radio inside the car, they figured it's only some machine trouble. Better or worse, they are out of the loop.

And so now, they were probably lucky.

At least, because they're helping out a fence-climbing bloodied man, Saigou and Sugiyama alighted down from the driver's and passenger's seats respectively and went that way.

In that instant, the first thing they heard is a roar.

A person screaming, just like a monster.

Before both Saigou and Sugiyama search for the source of that bellow, a second one came.

It was a massive iron door.

The iron door, rotating vertically and flying at a terrible speed, barely grazes over Saigou and Sugiyama, and smacked right into their parked Anti-skill patrol car very much like a gigantic buzz saw.

*DOGAA!!*

Scattering sparks, the automobile bends back and forth into a L-shape.

It's like suddenly throwing a shell from the side onto an ordinary car. The car's rear half stayed straight, on the other hand the front half was squashed into a wreck and is being bent directly horizontally. The car did not skid with the remaining power, and on the part where it's hit with the shell, the torn metal spread out like a flower. The iron door, having destroyed the car, remained unstoppable and smashed up the asphalt into small pieces before it finally stopped. The gasoline line, torn up at once, gets into contact with the electrical cable which was too disconnected. Tiny sparks fly out.

That alone was enough.

The car, smashed up from the side, explodes with a single blow, and flames and smoke were scattered onto the surroundings.

"W, what the!?"

Saigou, with his field of vision reduced to zero due to the smoke, can only shout.

Because the iron door was flying at an excessive speed, Saigou didn't find out what made the car explode. Also, the zero-visibility situation is unnecessarily fomenting his impatience.

Even he can't see the face of his partner who should be right beside him.

With that situation,

"Gaaa? S, STOP IT!!"

An unfamiliar man's voice echoed in Saigou's ears.

It's that of the black-clad whom we're trying to help! Before Saigou realizes it,

*SQUICK!!* A sound where a sticky wiener is being munched and torn up can be heard. Saigou, having sensed imminent danger, instinctively drew out his pistol, but he cannot move from there. He can't get a clear view with the severe smoke. Firing recklessly would only risk his partner Sugiyama or their rescue target being hit. He cannot know what is occurring on the other side of the smoke in the first place, and he cannot determine whether the [instigator] is a person or a wild animal. He cannot imagine how the situation will go if he just aims at somewhere and fires randomly.

"S, Stop! Freeze! Back off from that person!!"

He cannot see anything, but even so Saigou aims his gun by guesswork and shouts.

From a short distance, he felt a laughter coming back.

Clearly it's not the hearty kind, he feels it's a smile that is unintentionally shown even though the mouth was shut.

Afterwards, a thick sound occurred consecutively.

In about ten seconds, the screams were interrupted.

Eventually, Saigou was unable to move about.

In this world, there are things which should not be seen.

He realized by instinct that by some good fortune those were obstructed by the smoke.

The heavy rain is extinguishing the flames of the exploded cars. Along with it, the vision-obstructing smoke is finally abated.

Nearby, his partner Sugiyama had landed on his backside.

His mouth moved, flapping open and closed, but no voice totally came out.

However, with his face pale, he pointed at the ground with his unsteady index finger.

Saigou focused his sights there.

There, the man they're trying to rescue was gone. No matter where he looks he was gone.

At the spot where Sugiyama is pointing at,

At that spot, there is only a spatter of blood and two halluces torn off from a person's feet.

Both of them don't have their umbrellas up, so both Kamijou, who's wearing a red shirt beneath a stiff collar, and Last Order, who's in a dress shirt on top of a blue dress, are completely soaked. Even the goggles that are on her forehead are drenched, but there might not be unexpected problems since it's intended for military use.

The tiny girl led him to a corner of the large avenue, not even far from the entrance of the underground shopping complex. With the trains and buses gone along with the final curfew time, there is absolutely no figure of a person in the complete darkness.

At least, the normal figures are those that stand and walk on two feet.

"——"

Several people are lying down, collapsed on the ground.

Beneath the night sky with the rain strengthening, the uniformly all-black men had tumbled, their bodies sinking into the puddles. Reflecting the streetlights is armor made of composite materials, drenched in a thin watery film are the ominous sub-machine guns. Their appearances, with their faces disguised by helmets and highly elastic masks, on all accounts reek of out-of-the-ordinary people.

A *pachi-pachi* popping sound can be heard.

The sound of burning fire.

Just meters from where the men lie collapsed are squashed and crumpled minivans. Those are the firewood. The vehicle breaking through the guard rail and stopping at the middle of the walkway... is that the right way to put it? The more one thinks it's more accurate that they're blown off, the more the minivan will lose its shape. There are no other vehicles nearby. When it comes to this, did those belong to the downed men?

Last Order points at one downed person.

Her face ghostly pale, she says,

"'He was attacked by these people,' says Misaka as Misaka tries to state the real facts."

Is that real? she repeats. (!)

Kamijou again shifts his focus onto the downed people.

(Are those not Anti-Skills?)

He might be deceived by the black-clad battle gear, but on closer examination he feels that it's different from the standard gear of an ordinary Anti-skill. But then again, he's no military official, so he can't make an assertion since he has no detailed knowledge to the point that he can understand the model numbers that he might suddenly see.

(But, if these are not Anti-Skills, just who the hell are these guys? If we we're unlucky we would have been attacked by several of them, who seem better equipped than the Anti-skill....)

And yet, the attackers in question have badly collapsed.

He can't get a grip of the situation.

Kamijou looks at Last Order,

"Was your acquaintance attacked here?"

"'That's right,' says Misaka as Misaka answers."

"About this, has that person killed would-be avengers?"

"'That couldn't possibly be,' says Misaka as Misaka shakes her head. 'That person has a short fuse and is quick to quarrel, but even with that much damage, him suffering revenge is unimaginable in the slightest,' says Misaka as Misaka simply tries to guess."

Just what kind of guy is that guy, Kamijou sets his mind into deep thinking.

But then,

"...."

He's no invincible ESPer.

He doesn't know what kind of power Last Order's acquaintance uses, but unless it's an irregular like the Level 5 Railgun and it's attacked by a trained group with guns, it couldn't have turned the tables on them.

It's not an obligation applicable to the Level 0 Kamijou, but ability users are basically students. It's reasonable to think even that power is something that is "popular within school."

They cannot do anything if they're thrown out *pop* into this kind of battlefield. Unless they honed their wits... it's because they're useless unless they have the mental will just to [hone their wits] in the first place. No ordinary students are perhaps able to do stuff like preparing oneself in that manner and fight.

Normally they die.

(Anyhow, I have to report this...)

It isn't clear whether Last Order's acquaintance has been caught or is currently on the run, but in any case, the urgent situation remains unchanged. This really looks like he'd better seek the Anti-skills' help, Kamijou thinks as he brings out his mobile phone from his side pocket.

But then...

"...?"

But then, Kamijou raises his face from his phone just before pressing its buttons.

(...Why... I can't report this to anyone...?)

He looks at the sight before his eyes. A crumpled and crushed minivan. It looks like a few hours have passed since it burst into flames, but even then the powerful light is from the flames that are not weakening. With so many of these occurring, they didn't even reach one ear. Even they will understand a fire occurs even if they see it from afar. Kamijou doesn't even use his mobile phone; he thinks it's expected that someone has already reported it, and what's more, even rubbernecks haven't gathered.

"..."

Kamijou surveys the surroundings.

In the streets where the lights go out, it's a scenery where no ruckus occurs, and is totally wrapped in silence.

If...

If noise is made and yet it's not possible to make noise.

If there are many people collapsing within buildings just like the Anti-Skills.

(What the...)

Is it an unnatural attack, or is it an unintentional phenomenon?

It's a completely unassertive state of emergency where even that is not clear.

That silence isn't the scariest.

By the time Kamijou realizes the problem, the fact is Academy City's facilities were already driven to suspension, just like termites eating out a wooden bridge.

It's close to like when dozing off in the final exams, then he's awakened by the examiner's "Ten minutes remaining" voice.

And in front of a blank examination sheet, cold sweat pours out from the lad's entire body.

(What is happening now in this very town?)

And then, there's movement in an unmoving Kamijou's field of vision.

Last Order is leaning over the side of the fallen men, poking the equipment. That girl suddenly raises her face as if she notices something, and runs over to Kamijou's side in hot haste.

Then, she grabs his hand with her rain-drenched cold hand, and begins to pull hard on it. It totally looks like she's taking her parent towards a department store's toy section but,

"'Hurry,' says Misaka as Misaka urges precaution."

Moreover, in a strangely urgent voice,

"'They are coming,' says Misaka as Misaka reports while trying to hide herself in the back alley!"

Pulled along by Last Order, Kamijou secretly hides in a nearby parked van, while frowning and saying "They?".

With that spot clogged by fallen leaves and like, a large pond-like puddle is gathering around the vehicle. Stepping into it, even his socks are getting soaked with water.

But they had no luxury to complain.

A low *garororo* engine sound echoes.

Coming down was a strange black minivan with headlights turned off.

As it lets out a stealthy, low sound, the van stops at the place where the black-clad men lie collapsed. Its rear sliding door opens, and out goes in groups people with the very same equipment. A quick glance shows there are almost ten of them. Even with them temporarily unarmed, it's definitely not a winnable number.

And then,

"...Shit. From where did they get those kind of guns?"

He unintentionally groans.

The black-clad men, as if preparing for something, hang up their identical sub-machine guns by their shoulders. Perhaps they'll be defending themselves with other weapons like handguns and grenades.

They don't look like they're Anti-Skills, the guardians of Academy City's public order.

And they don't even look friendly.

And should they find Kamijou and Last Order doing their thing, they would rather rain the two immediately with bullets; such tension has been following Kamijou even up to now.

He cast his view onto his own right hand.

The Imagine Breaker in that hand can deal with the Level 5 Railgun. But on the other hand, it's entirely ineffective against a bullet which is not involved with any unusual power at all.

The black-clads shoulder their (probable) colleagues lying down on the road, and throw them ruthlessly into the minivan. There is a person with differing movements aside from this type of work. A man with a transparent tank, the tank being as tall as three family-size PET bottles fastened vertically, shouldered on his back. Fitted on the bottom is a nozzle, and the man grabs it and prepares a flame thrower-like stance.

That group must have felt it necessary to destroy evidence, even as it prepares for a large-scale operation. And it's anybody's guess on what action will that kind of company take if in a worst case scenario they find eyewitnesses.

In conclusion,

(—In that kind of situation, I really have no hope of getting away.)

His throat makes a *gulp* sound.

And the *drip* sound of water reaches his ears.

"——"

Kamijou looks at his own feet.

He's in a pond-sized puddle due to drainage being blocked. And his feet getting soaked in there are shivering bit by bit. That shivering is creating tiny ripples on the water's surface. Going under their shield for a car, those ripples head for the other side.

However, they shouldn't be able to notice this.

The downpour has been beating onto the puddle. Even with their eyes attuned to this darkness they can't observe the state of the water puddles. It should be all right, Kamijou thoughtfully prays, but then,

*turn*. And,

The black-clads, in a spot a bit separated from where Kamijou is standing, are simultaneously looking at him.

The decision is swift.

Kamijou, thinking it's useless to even hide, lifts up Last Order's tiny body and carries her with his arms, and rushes out crouching from the vehicle's other side.

The vehicle is parked illegally onto the footpath edge.

The entrance to the nearest alley is only about 5 meters.

*But then,*

*Pop!*

The destructive sound similar to the sound of light silk being pierced by iron pipes echoes.

Several sub-machine guns are simultaneously being fired.

It's on high-speed rapid fire where he can't figure out how many rounds fire in a second. So far, the vehicle's glass shatters, its hood bending like being trampled on, its steel door getting tattered due to numerous holes being punched open. The car interior is shredded, cotton flying about inside the car.

Destruction occurs in an instant, with all those sounds coming together into one explosive sound.

Nevertheless Kamijou heads for the alley entrance.

Bullet trails pursue after Kamijou's escape route.

Just in front of his very eyes, a bullet flies into a concrete wall at face level. Attacked at his direction, even though Kamijou flinches and stops, he intends to handle it like how he handles beehives. Instinctively his head lowers, his body barely moves. Tiny broken concrete pieces graze by Kamijou's hair.

Almost tumbling, Kamijou jumps into the back alley, looking as if falling flat onto the wet ground.

"Are you all right, Last Order!?"

As he asks, the tiny girl in Kamijou's arms silently nodds many times.

They can hear a metal-twisting *clatter* *clatter*. The sound of the black-clads' equipment. Kamijou tut-tuts, then carries Last Order's body again, and starts running into the heart of the back alleys.

He wants a place to hide.

The affinity of the Imagine Breaker in his right hand is really too bad. It gives him a means of escape for tricky irregular opponents like sorcery and ESP, but it really has no chance for those guys' guns. Even if he fights dirty, him turning into a torn and scrapped rag would be the outcome.

"Last Order, you controlled the Sisters, can you also control electrical power?"

"'Yeah, but I can only use it equal to that of Level 3,' says Misaka as Misaka answers."

"Then you can open electronic locks. We're entering some building through the back door. Perhaps this alley isn't that long, you know. There's even the possibility of an ambush at the exit."

Understood, she replies.

Kamijou stops in front of a nearby door in the back alley, and lowers Last Order beside it.

"Okay."

Last Order brings out a mobile phone from the chest pocket of her dress shirt, and turns it off. Somehow it appears to be a hindrance to concentration when using electricity-type abilities. She then points her tiny palm horizontally onto the installed card slot and closes her eyes.

*Clatter* *clatter* They can hear black-clads' metallic sound.

Whether they're near or far, they can't sense the distance. Since the alleyways are not straight but weave back and forth, they wouldn't be suddenly mowed down from the exits and entrances; even so, with a situation where he can't find out whether he's overtaken or not, continuing to fixedly wait for something is giving him more pressure beyond imagination.

(Not yet...?)

Kamijou waits, his ears bent towards the darkness, only towards the overlapping sounds of footsteps.

(Dammit, aren't you through?)

No way, the strange effects aren't coming out due to the Imagine Breaker! Just as Kamijou is getting worried,

"'Got it!' says Misaka as Misaka opens her eyes!"

A high-pitched *beep* electronic sound rings.

Kamijou has his hand onto the knob of the iron door, and turns it.

The lock has been released. Just like that he carries Last Order and breaks into inside of the building.

There are no indoor lights.

It appears to be the kitchen for a family restaurant. Emergency exits are prepared as it is a place where fire is handled. They think that it's still business hours, but the light fading out is a bit ominous. The green lamp indicating the emergency exit only lets the silhouettes of cookware float dimly.

"'What are we going to do from here?' says Misaka as Misaka tries to ask."

"I wonder..."

Kamijou lowers Last Order to the floor, then turns his eyes towards the door before him. At any rate, they want to go where there is light, and people.

"Those guys have a vehicle. It's likely that we'll be overtaken if we run for it. There are no trains or buses at this time, and I don't think we can get away even if we manage to catch a novice taxi driver."

Last Order looks up at him with worried-looking eyes.

I want to throw away everything, but I can't show this kind of disgraceful behavior, Kamijou thinks.

"Anyhow, let's head for a place where there are people. Those black-clads wouldn't want to cause chaos there. So they only follow us. They should have their priorities backwards if they start a massacre there."

"'Is it possible to really help that person with this?' says Misaka as Misaka laments at her own lack of power."

"I dunno. But we absolutely cannot give help until we survive. First, we mustn't get killed if we are to save that person. I don't think that person wouldn't be pleased by our deaths."

"'...Okay,' says Misaka as Misaka nods."

"Good, then we will live."

That's a very outrageous line for me, thinks Kamijou as he opens the door in front of him while smiling wryly.

That place is probably the main floor where guests consume the cooking. Flooded with lights of white fluorescent lamps, the cable broadcast is playing an out-of-place cheerful music. On the wall-covering big-screen TV, a CM is being projected. The fatty smell peculiar to the retort packs sticks to their noses.

But then,

"...*Even here!?*"

Kamijou Touma instinctively groans.

There are many guests inside the store. Like men and women who look like couples and men who look like faculty with their work over. There are waitresses with pretty uniforms at the thin passageway between tables. On the counter is a male shop assistant who's a bit older.

All of them are down.

As in let down, completely exhausted, and without any injury.

There are no signs of panic inside the store. There are some spoons and forks that fell onto the floor, but perhaps they must have ended there at the same time the guests fell prostrate onto the table. Everyone inside collapsed, not even one of them understanding it... That is the impression at the spectacle.

Just like the downed Anti-Skills near the entrance of the underground shopping complex, there are also people collapsing, as if asleep, here, too. On the other hand, there are people lying on the floor, stiff as stone statues. Looking at its entirety, they are divided into several groups.

The kitchen's state is also strange; however, a problem could have arisen on the other side.

In any case, this does not fulfill Kamijou's [place where there are people].

With everyone losing consciousness, it's quite the same as if nobody is witnessing it.

(How did this happen?)

Kamijou is instinctively about to be amazed.

(They collapsed, maybe just like some of those black-clads. In other words, this isn't the black-clads' doing! The fact is that this is not the only problem!)

"Last Order, let's just get out—!"

Kamijou, stopping mid-sentence, pulls in Last Order and rolls down to the floor.

*BAM!!*

The windows facing the main street are smashed into very small pieces. They hold on for several seconds, aware that someone is firing from the main road into the store interior. The fired rounds even hit the cable TV tuner, rendering the speakers silent all at once. The TV is smashed up, and sparks are scattered about.

On seeing the small glass shards raining incessantly onto the guests lying down onto the tables and floor, Kamijou's rage flares up. Luckily the bullets don't hit them, but that is not the problem.

(Shit, they don't care even with the ordinary people around them!!)

Someone slowly enters into the main floor, stepping onto the broken glass shards.

Kamijou picks up a nearby fork that had fallen onto the floor.

It's so weak it's laughable.

On top of that, this time the floor's lights are abruptly fading. The door where Kamijou and Last Order entered opens, making a soft *creak* sound. From there about three more black-clads join in, moving noiselessly like cockroaches.

The only thing guarding Kamijou and Last Order is a large square pillar in the middle of the floor.

There's hardly any blind spots for them against the black-clads in slow search of their target from both directions.

Kamijou, dimly shining fork in hand, leans it back towards the pillar.

Suddenly he looks up.

An air hole directly above him was opened; the bullets hitting through the window must have hit it.

(Piercing? This pillar can't be a shield...!!)

The muscles of a surprised Kamijou stiffens more than that is needed.

Unhurried, the footsteps that seem to suppress as much vibration as possible, narrow down little by little the siege nets.

Kamijou Touma and Last Order are secretly hidden in a pillar.

A dreadful silence has filled inside the lights-out family restaurant.

It is a hopeless 30 seconds.

He thinks his brain structure will collapse from too much stress.

But Kamijou, secretly hiding in a pillar and holding his breath, notices an abnormality.

No matter how much time passes by, the men aren't coming closer.

That black-clad lot who broke into the family restaurant should have found out by now where Kamijou and Last Order are. And they should have known that the two aren't carrying any suitable weapons. There's no way that an armed armored group expressly on the lookout for an unarmed high school lad and a young girl would remain motionless.

(What kind of situation is this?)

His mind on 'moving simply is dangerous' and,

His mind on 'move fast or we might lose our chance' are mixing together.

"...."

Last Order, sticking very closely to him, apprehensively grabs his shirt very tightly.

The girl's little hands become the helping hand that barely defends Kamijou's presence of mind.

So as it is, 30 seconds have elapsed.

No conspicuous sounds.

Strangely, only the sound of the falling rain comes from the broken windows and into Kamijou's ear.

He holds his breath.

And closes his eyes.

And waits for a time.

Then, there is movement.

"Haaiii♪! I wonder if you are utterly scared. Can you stop being afraid and come out-?"

A high-pitched woman's voice is heard.

Kamijou cannot confirm the face due to the pillar.

And he can't find out where could she possibly be.

Nevertheless,

(What the? She acts obviously different from those guys so far.)

The black-clads, who were cornering Kamijou and Last Order some time ago, are seemingly noiselessly and soundlessly trying to kill them at the fastest rate, avoiding their self-assertion as much as possible. To put it bluntly, as much maximum efficiency as possible, choosing only the minimum of movements.

On the other hand, the woman's voice is the exact opposite.

In the first place, when she let out her voice and made her appearance, it went [contrary] to the black-clads' movement patterns. Far from gender classification, it's unknown if she's even human; it feels like the most distant command is from the shadowy existence.

(When it comes to it, is she not with the black-clads?)

On the other hand, he feels that it's dangerous to just get out and go. In the first place, whose voice is that?

"Hahaha. You feel afraid, eh? Well, it can't be helped if you're in a pinch like that. However-, I have my own reasons-, so if you haven't heard much of what I've said-"

The female voice continues while laughing.

Then with a tone that is unconcerned about disturbances and precaution, with a totally blank voice,

"**I'll turn you to pulp, shitties!!**"

"!!!"

Kamijou embraces Last Order, and promptly dives for the floor, flying out from beside the pillar in doing so.

A *BOOM* thunderous roar reverberates.

The invisible blow mows down the pillar horizontally that, until a moment ago, served as a shield. The attack probably struck dead center on the pillar, as the pillar, broken into two sections, flies into the wall. At such speed and like a cannonball, it strikes the wall and is shatters into pieces.

The entire building shakes.

The framework collapses, making a sharp *Gasshaaa!!* sound, breaking all the glass inside the store where they took refuge from the black-clads.

Kamijou, covering up Last Order, scans with his eyes.

In the middle of the main floor, with the lights out, a woman stands alone.

Streetlight from outside slightly shines on that silhouette.

She is a strange woman.

Her garments are seen as a dress similar to what European women in the Middle Ages would wear. The hair on her head is entirely covered with cloth, nary one strand of hair can be seen. Her face, mouth, nose, and even eyelids were installed with body piercings, destroying her looks. Intense make-up that emphasizes her eyes was applied, which makes her unnecessarily more intimidating.

And there's the woman's hand.

There, it holds a enormous hammer over a meter long. Attached from the grip up to its end are pointed barbed wires wrapped around it. It could be a defense method to make it impossible to handle, or it could be a pretty ornament.

(....)

Surely if hit by this, the pain will be inexcusable; on the other hand, it's unlikely that she could win with only that against a hardened group armed with sub-machine guns. Nevertheless, whatever the heck happened, the black-clad men ended up tumbled down in this woman's surroundings.

It appears none of them are conscious.

(This is...)

The armed, armored, and probably trained black-clads—they were somehow rendered useless without raising a single sound.

(It's similar to...)

The lack of information emphasizes the ominous more.

(To the Anti-Skills that fell down with a clatter just outside the underground shopping complex...)

Only one thing is certain: she is no ally of Kamijou.

(And to the downed black-clads beside the wrecked vehicles...!!)

"You're..."

As Kamijou inquires with a low voice, he gets up from Last Order and stands up.

In answer, the woman quietly informs him, while lightly swinging her unidentifiable hammer,

The inside of the totally dark family restaurant is wrapped up by a bizarre tension.

Kamijou Touma is confronting the woman who called herself Vento.

(Dammit. One after the other....)

If this woman is a magic-wielding person, then unlike before it will be the Imagine Breaker's turn. But he isn't be able to rest easy yet. If Vento's power is real, then she has the skill to instantly and silently annihilate the four sub-machine gun-armed persons. When it goes against the Imagine Breaker and the like, there's even the danger of being killed instantly.

Besides...

He didn't have to look closely at the condition of the downed black-clads, but the absence of injury and bleeding is all too similar to [unconscious people] that was a severe sight up to now. If these two situations are same, then surely this Vento before him is the one that brought all of Academy City's facilities to its knees.

A woman all alone is aiming to crush the top rank of the scientific side.

Viewed in this light, the danger level of the person in front of him is way over that of the black-clads.

"It's okay to not even be tense."

Vento informed while the jingling her chain.

"For there's even no luxury of feeling the pain."

Vento casually swung the barbed wire-laden hammer in her right hand.

A side sweep attack.

The distance to Kamijou should be easily over five meters but,

"!!!"

Kamijou, having felt a sudden chill, throws back Last Order whom he was protecting until now and immediately bent down; just above him, something pierced through. It was a mass of wind along with minute splinters within. Taking in air, eating away at the walls, swallowing in small wreckage, changing from transparent to opaque, the blunt weapon of air mass went from right to left, cutting through a wide swath.

The entire building *gagon!!* lurched diagonally.

(A magic attack that fires out projectiles from swinging the hammer...?)

Kamijou, having gone pale from the attack, can hear the sound of fragments falling down in large chunks.

It was an act that totally gave no heed to the collapsed people surrounding them.

"Hide yourself, Last Order!!"

Kamijou shouts to Last Order, who had just got up from being thrown back. As he checks on her moving behind a square pillar,

(What the hell, I've had enough of the black-clads, and I've had enough for this woman...!!)

Kamijou gnashed his teeth; of course that wouldn't stop Vento.

Vento, while stepping back, again and again halfheartedly swings her hammer, horizontally and vertically, twice and then thrice. The chain fastened to her tongue *clink clink* swings and waves about. The hammer's path is a precarious trajectory that grazes the chain in the tongue every time. A few millimeters more and the piercing connecting the chain to the tongue would be torn off, but there was even composure in Vento's face.

Vento's hammer tears through the air.

And a *BOOM!!* explosive sound struck the ears.

A destructive tempest is rising.

The hammer was like a bat sending a heavy iron ball flying. Tables are blown off, floors are torn up, the black-clads' limbs sent flying, and these plop on top of the limp customers. Kamijou's head flared up, so he dealt with all his might the blunt wind weapon that came flying for him.

The moment Kamijou's right hand touched it, the blunt weapon of air *don!!* was repelled and dissipated.

It's the Imagine Breaker.

Without this power that would negate all supernatural abilities, his body would have been broken already.

Nevertheless the air mass didn't fly only at a straight path. If there is curve-tracing attack that comes from the right or left and goes towards Kamijou's direction, there is also an attack for Kamijou, his feet firmly on ground, that goes from above his head and pushes him down.

"Hahaha, as expected of that rumored right hand of yours. You've done well in holding on and keeping up, you know!!"

Vento, while laughing, swung down her hammer from top to bottom with all her might. A destructive wind is created along with it.

(It's vertical!!)

Kamijou, in hot haste, raised his right hand overhead, but then,

The mass of wind, broke right through at once **horizontally from right to left**.

".....!!"

Cold sweat gushes out from Kamijou's entire body. At once he bends back, only lowering his upper body back. A *boom!!* unpleasant sound shoots through in front of his face, and the skin on the tip of his nose was slightly grazed.

The wall right beside him was smashed up, creating a *begoom!!* sound.

The ceiling, obliquely shifted in position even under normal circumstances, gave out even more ominous tremors.

(What the!? The hammer and the attack trajectory are out of alignment...!?)

The question pops up in Kamijou's head; of course Vento cannot answer them one by one.

"Gyahahahahahahahaa!! This is so--- fun!!"

The long chain, attached to Vento's tongue and matching in tune to her movements, is swinging left and right.

And the crucifix, attached at the end of the chain, is giving off a dazzling unnatural light.

*Flicker*, the ever-repeated blinking continues.

And then Vento, with a face that revealed her aiming was off, frowned.

"I see, I see."

Vento nodded with seeming interest as she continued to hit him with rough wind attacks one after the other, creating a *gonganbangin!!* thunderous sound. As if she completely dealt with it. She can't close the 5-meter distance.

"The Imagine Breaker, they say? That right hand's effect is extraordinary, just as it is written in my reports, you know. **My favorite, where I interweave here and there, is totally ineffective-**"

Favorite? Kamijou thinks about his opponent's word as he waves about his right hand.

He's worried because there are reports on the Imagine Breaker. Kamijou Touma's importance must have changed in the Roman Catholic Church.

"But then, I don't understand well such a thing...well, might as well try and find out."

"??"

"HOW ABOUT THIS!!"

Vento shouts heartily, then swung the hammer in her hand horizontally.

She creates a blunt weapon of air mass along with a *BOOM!!* thunderous roar.

She greatly deviates her aim from Kamijou, and went for the unconscious customers who were lying prostate onto the table.

"YOU BITCH!!"

He at once thrusts out his right hand as if to jump in. The air weapon came into contact with his right hand just before at the head of one of the guests, and was blown off in all directions. The amount of power included in that attack was frightening.

Anger, passing through even the core of his mind, strikes Kamijou.

Upon seeing it, Vento narrowed her eyes in seeming deep interest.

"...I see, so that's it. The ease of use seems to be unexpectedly bad?"

For now, the attack kept on being blocked; there is no irritation in Vento's face.

"It seems unreasonable not to feel some pain. I have to personally kill him, you know. If there is some consciousness left, then he should be dead from the excessive pain, or should I say, by the shock, right? So, if it wants to be happy it will awake even as a masochist, right?"

A *jingle* sound of the chain being scraped is heard.

The chain attached to Vento's tongue goes along with her movement, and drew an arc in a right-to-left direction. Vento then swings her hammer down with all her might, sweeping over that chain.

Orange-colored sparks *bachi!* scattered about.

(!!? That one from a while back....)

As if blowing them off, the blunt air weapon is coming to strike in a right-to-left curving trajectory.

(The hammer's movement and attack movement are damned out of----)

It's following the trajectory of the chain attached to her tongue.

(This pattern!?)

The attack was being guided by that chain.

"No way, ...it's that chain with the crucifix!!"

Kamijou shouts as he crushes the wind weapon with his right hand.

Vento laughed in reply.

"Oh-my-, I've been found out-!?"

Again the long chain with the crucifix accessory attached to it traces out its trajectory freely. Every time Vento swings her hammer sweeping over the chain, the blunt air weapon comes flying and follows the route similar to what is being traced by the chain line.

(Damn it! Even if I get it, defending against it is tough!!)

He's reacting unintentionally against the trajectory of the large shockwave-producing hammer. However, the movements of the chain and hammer are practically different with each other. If he considers the swinging down from above the chain is tracing a curved line, and if he considers the hammer swinging horizontally, the chain is heading up from below.

The [attack motion] and [actual direction of incoming attack] are both out of sync. If this deceives his vision even for a bit, his reaction would be too late and his body would be cut down.

"Shit!!!"

"Oh my, it has come to be somewhat of a bother for you, dear."

An even stronger blunt air weapon *BOOM!* came for him.

Furthermore, the blunt weapon didn't aim directly for Kamijou, and merely fell for the floor just before him. The flooring is torn off and turned into large amounts of wood chips; then these turned into sharpened splinters and strike Kamijou's body.

"G, gaaaaaaah!!?"

Rather than struck at one place, his entire body was struck by them.

Kamijou was thrown backwards. Just like that he falls and tumbles over.

He painfully shook off his light-headedness and desperately tries to recover his senses.

And before he's aware of it, he was pushed back to the immediate rear of Last Order.

Taken aback, Kamijou rises up from the floor.

Last Order, who should be secretly hiding in the pillar, must have stood up and rushed over to him.

"RUN FOR IT!!"

"Fufu-"

Vento very heartily laughed at Kamijou's exclamation.

With her attack, she'll have no problems smashing up Last Order.

But Last Order did not move. Kamijou didn't know whether she couldn't move or she's deliberately not moving.

At this rate, her tiny body would be turned to a bloody pulp.

"SHIT!!"

Kamijou got up and starts running, and pushed a standing Last Order down onto the floor. She went down at the same time Vento's attack was unleashed. The produced blunt air weapon mercilessly smashes the pillar. From there it was negated by Kamijou's right hand. Even so, large quantities of fragments were scattered about.

This is getting way past dangerous.

Unless he can evacuate Last Order from this place as soon as possible...

"Go!! Hurry!!"

Kamijou shouted, but Last Order shook her head, even though she's overcome with surprise.

She doesn't want to abandon him.

"Hurry!! Call for help!!"

So Kamijou gave her a false objective that should be impossible to achieve.

Told to that extent, she finally staggered up to her feet. Unfortunately, her pocket contents were scattered when she fell down. When she sees it on the floor, a generously glossy and cute kiddie mobile phone that looks like a toy, Last Order looks like she's leaning over again.

"Forget it!!"

Her shoulders shook with a start from Kamijou's scream, and ran with her tiny feet. She went out from the smashed windows onto the road. Her back is succumbing to the uneasiness, she seems almost losing herself.

Vento aimed her huge barbed-wire-wrapped hammer at the tiny girl.

But Kamijou went around and cut in, putting himself directly between the hammer and Last Order's path. All the while, the building is slowly shaking.

As a result of pillars being smashed here and there, the ceiling is at once starting to crumble obliquely. The side where Vento is facing and Last Order exited was closed and blocked by the fallen ceiling.

Even with a single target escaping, there was no irritation in Vento's face.

She talks to Kamijou while smiling rather pleasantly,

"You're cruel, you know. For that tiny child, I think it's a reasonable burden to continue running aimlessly through the dark. She might become stiff with fear and start to break down, you know."

She swings her huge hammer and,

"Isn't it more fortunate that we kill you both together rather than suffer this?"

Kamijou instinctively spat out at that voice.

This woman is the worst.

"...I won't shoulder that burden."

He tells her that, and again tightly clenches his right hand into a fist.

He then faces the pleasantly smiling Vento.

"There are no problems in facing you. Therefore I won't die."

"Ah that's fun♪ But hey, I wonder if you can say the same line even if I'll shake your organs and bowels and turn you into human juice---hm?"

Swinging her hammer, a thick sound reverberates. The chain in her tongue jingles and swings around.

"Well, you're my target, and I'm frustrated that I won't be bothered by those heathen monkeys. I tell you, you're greatly helping me make my aim easier for obediently not running away!!"

Again several blunt weapons of air sweep over, and mercilessly destroy the interior of the family restaurant.

With Vento's attack, the interior of the family restaurant is being destroyed thick and fast.

There's still a little time before Kamijou is finally cornered. Bloodied, he leans back against a demolished wall. No matter how much his Imagine Breaker can defend against her direct attacks, he cannot defend himself against broken floor tiles and table splinters.

In the end, there are only few options left for Kamijou.

The instant he was cornered, he can only continue defending himself with his right hand. Vento's attack frequency is not that much, but the trajectories of each blast is complicated. Because he must read her moves and act accordingly, his moves appear slow and passive.

For sheer destructive power it's probably inferior to Misaka Mikoto's Railgun. And there's the terrain problem when he came to deal with Mikoto. When he goes against her, Kamijou absolutely doesn't want to choose a narrow place for a battleground. Without a spacious place where there is freedom of moving around and freedom of running from place to place, he's definitely not facing her.

If this is not the case, he will be cornered just like that.

However, in this demolished family restaurant are,

(...In addition, the collapsed people are...)

On the receiving end of an unidentified attack, both guests and waiters are here and there tumbled down, their consciousness stolen. Even the building is taking too much damage for certainly bearing the brunt of Vento's attacks, there's the danger of the ceiling collapsing and killing them all.

Kamijou was watching his surroundings more than necessary.

And it's all too clear even in Vento's eyes.

Vento levels her huge hammer as she chuckles.

"You don't have to worry about yourself. Look♪"

She *biyuu!!* swings her weapon carelessly.

The chain attached to Vento's mouth has drawn a trajectory deviating sideways from Kamijou's face.

The blunt air weapon slightly bent its alignment sideways from Kamijou. Vento is deliberately adjusting it towards where its barely out of reach from Kamijou's outstretched hand.

"!!!"

Kamijou leaped at full strength; just before the weapon strikes into a guest his right hand repels it.

This time Vento unleashed her blunt air weapon at the opposite direction.

Just like a practice in volleyball receiving, Kamijou's body is being racked. Vento launches one shot after the other towards the surrounding guests and yet sometimes a shot aimed at Kamijou himself would come through feints. Demanding for unreasonable movements, his breathing accelerates. The remaining stamina in his body is being taken away in a flash.

"You bitch!!"

"Hm-hmm-hmm? Now that you're mad, what are you gonna do? You should know what happened with Academy City. If I were a person with consideration for other people, I wouldn't have done this in the first place!"

"Shit!!"

He thought for sure that she didn't intend to say that she caused so much of these flashy efforts all just to kill him, Kamijou Touma.

No matter how he puts it he doesn't think that would be the case.

For just killing a mere single high school student, this is way beyond large-scale.

"You should realize your own worth, you know--"

Vento again mows down through the air with her gigantic hammer while she lightheartedly says the next words.

"**My target is you, Kamijou Touma. Everything and everyone else are all extras.** Even that Index is unimportant compared to you!"

She readily said those words.

"Make no mistake about it, you are now the enemy of the Roman Catholic Church. And we will do whatever it takes to kill our enemies. I'll say something extreme to you. We will kill you even we have to exterminate this entire nation called Japan! ...Although you might say, when I consider about that right hand, my usual pattern doesn't seem to work. Anyhow, it looks like that I'll have to kill you directly myself."

Vento fluttered up a document, that looked like it was brought out by sleight-of-hand, as she continued with her words.

It's probably some sort of decree, but it's unreadable in the darkness. In the first place, it's doubtful whether it's written in Japanese.

"As you can see, it has the Holy Father's personal signature. You've been targeted by two billion people!"

The hell is that, Kamijou was astonished at his opponent's words.

In contrast with the fact that she let out the words "Roman Catholic Church" here, it's a talk too different in scale to say that they're going to wipe out a nation from the map just because of himself.

Currently, Kamijou Touma has much experience in [himself getting dragged into the middle some kind of incident]. The incidents occurring with him in the middle, it was since that time with that Aztec magician on August 31.

At a Kamijou who's getting filled with horror, Vento again hides the document with a sleight-of-hand and,

The chain in her tongue moves, and its crucifix slightly vibrated from left to right.

"What the..."

"**Now I'll kill every person inside this store**"

Kamijou choked.

Vento continues while sweetly smiling.

"For that you will probably be suffering. I'm willing to annihilate everyone just for that boring reason. Even you would seriously understand your situation once I go that far."

"STOP IT!!"

Kamijou, ignoring his situation, instinctively starts running towards Vento. She bends back while laughing and while hanging there her neck shook greatly. Along with the sound of *jingle* metal rubbing, the chain attached to her tongue drew a helix surrounding Vento.

If she swings her hammer at this state, a destructive whirlwind with Vento in the center will rise.

"BLOW OFF, SHITTY!!"

Along with that roar, Vento's right hand moved.

A *BOOM!!* thunderous roar reverberates.

An iron-like smell has filled inside the unlit and ruined family restaurant.

A dripping *gopo-* sound resounded inside the dark interior of the family restaurant.

Blood is dripping onto the floor.

Kamijou Touma stopped instinctively before the sight in front of him with an attacking stance.

No doubt about it it's fresh blood.

He confoundedly looks on at the point where red is spouting out.

At the mouth of Vento, who up to now was elated with success.

"gack ... ... "

She bends down her body, bringing both her hands onto her mouth, coughing violently in short bursts. Every time she does that, a heavy and slimy fluid seeps through the gaps in her fingers.

"Ga, ack. Aah"

With unsteady movements, she backs out with a step, then two. There was no composure with that behavior so far. It doesn't appear to be acting. And it's likely that she really is in agony.

(What the ... ...)

At her sudden hemorrhaging, Kamijou's thoughts were cut off as if cold water was poured on him.

(A side effect of her magic? This is bad for her, but this could be my chance.)

His awareness returned.

He's somewhat reluctant to throw a fist at someone suffering, but plainly speaking there's no room for niceties. If he doesn't take her down when he can take her down, she'll create more victims at her pleasure.

Kamijou holds his temper, prepares himself, and clenches his right fist.

"Gr, raaaaaaaaa!!!"

But before he could do it Vento turns about face, and swung her barbed wire-wrapped hammer towards the wrong direction.

It takes a path sweeping over the chain, and sparks jump from both hammer and chain.

There is none of the expected rash mood. It was a disorganized and violent movement, like a drunkard striking.

Along with a heavy *GOBOOM!!* shock wave, she opens a large hole in a wall.

Vento runs through there.

She went and flew out of the building while unleashing two, three diversion attacks at Kamijou who's about to pursue her.

"... ...,"

Frankly, he doesn't really know if he should pursue her or be relieved because he let her get away.

(What was that now?)

Since Vent went out of the building, neither Kamijou nor the store were crushed. It's unlikely as her character to take into consideration the other guests. Perhaps dealing with the abnormality in her body involves her totally shutting her mind from other matters.

Kamijou sorts through little by little the new problems that befell to him.

So they're gonna do this after all... Disappointed. I don't see SS as a grand finale of the season, ending it at vol. 13 would be much more appropriate. J.C. Staff, why?

Probably because after this season they're going to have a railgun season- which means we're probably going to have to wait for another year for season 3.

Thus, they want a quiet ending with a promise of more to end out the season, one that 'wraps' almost everything up. Volume 13 is not exactly the best place to leave off unless the next season is coming immediately after. Which it isn't.